13 June

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An accident with a truck may lead to long-lasting injuries

North Carolina roads may prove frustrating, especially during your commute to and from work. Traffic woes plague well-populated areas as throngs of motorists try and make their way from one place to another around the clock. Accidents happen, but those that occur between a motor vehicle and a semi-truck can wind up as the most severe. Depending on the circumstances of the crash, drivers may end up with catastrophic injuries while some less fortunate do not live. Take a look at some of the injuries that often occur when in an accident with a big rig. Fractures The most common injuries sustained in...

06 June

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Can good housekeeping help prevent falls?

Posted by Chris Proffitt

in personal injury

Falls happen a lot, and for many reasons. Floors can be wet, greasy, uneven, damaged, and this does not take into account loose material items and equipment that can litter a floor and cause someone to take a nasty spill. Falls are such menaces that according to the Grainger website, fall injuries make up a quarter of all reported annual injury claims and about 65% of total work days lost. One way you can minimize fall risks on your North Carolina property is to pursue a regular housekeeping regimen. Basically, good housekeeping is regular and habitual. It is not a special...

29 April

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Should juries believe forensic evidence?

Posted by Chris Proffitt

in criminal defense

On “CSI,” forensic evidence is key to solving almost every case. In real life, many forensic techniques are of questionable scientific validity. Human error and even intentional bias infect these tests. Analysts sometimes work to prove prosecution cases rather than presenting neutral findings. Far too often, analysts exaggerate the statistical certainty of their findings. In 2009, the National Academy of Sciences issued a report questioning the scientific validity of many common forensic science techniques. In 2015, the FBI admitted that, for decades, its analysts had been making serious errors in at least 90 percent of cases involving testimony about microscopic hair comparison...

11 April

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Can I get arrested for biking while intoxicated?

Posted by Chris Proffitt

in criminal defense, DWI/DUI

We all know you will be arrested if you drive your car with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or greater. We know you will be arrested if you are over the limit and are driving a motorcycle, ATV or boat. But what if you are in control of a bicycle and you are over the limit? Can you be arrested for Driving While Bicycling? In North Carolina, the answer is yes. A danger to yourself or others The question police officers must ask is if you are a danger to yourself or others. If the answer is yes, then they will stop you...

09 April

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AEB defect found in over 800,000 2017-2018 Nissan Rogues

Posted by Chris Proffitt

in personal injury

Automatic emergency braking is a safety feature that brakes for drivers when they are faced with an obstruction. However, AEB has been found to be defective in more than 800,000 2017-2018 Nissan Rogues. Nissan Rogue owners in North Carolina will want to know what is being done about this. Nissan sent dealers a technical service bulletin, but it did not guarantee the notification of owners about the defect. The Center for Auto Safety, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization, says Nissan is violating federal law by not treating the defect as a safety problem. In the middle of March 2019, the safety group...

29 March

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Assault and battery in North Carolina may lead to prison time

Posted by Chris Proffitt

in assault and battery

Assault and battery are often lumped together when an individual is charged with a crime, but they are two separate legal terms. In some states, assault and battery are two separate charges and in other states they are lumped together into a single charge. In North Carolina, there are three different types of misdemeanor assault and battery charges with which an individual can be charged. Assault is typically defined as the act of threatening or attempting to harm another individual. Most states require that the act be willful in order to for it to be considered assault. Dangerous behavior is considered...

12 March

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Tougher policing leads to surge in young arrests

Posted by Chris Proffitt

in criminal defense

A study released recently by the RAND Corporation reveals that the number of young people arrested has surged in recent years, and the researchers behind the study say that more aggressive techniques adopted by law enforcement agencies in North Carolina and around the country are largely responsible. The nonprofit think tank observed a rise in arrests among all demographic groups over the last three decades with particularly steep increases among women and white men. After studying data on thousands of families compiled by the Panel Study of Income Dynamics over several decades, the researchers concluded that an American currently between...

26 February

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Study finds opioids linked with some 2-car crashes

Posted by Chris Proffitt

in car accidents

Drivers who caused deadly two-vehicle accidents in North Carolina and around the country were much more likely to test positive for opioid prescription painkillers than drivers who did not cause the crash, according to a study. The research was published in JAMA Network Open in February. For the study, researchers examined crash data from 18,321 fatal two-vehicle accidents in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, which is compiled by a division of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. They found that “failure to keep in lane” was the most common cause of the accidents, accounting for 7,535 of the crashes studied....

13 February

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Why embezzlement is more frequent at small businesses

Posted by Chris Proffitt

in criminal defense, White Collar Crimes

Embezzlement can rock a company to its core. Often, the largest sums of money stolen from companies are taken by those in positions of authority. When a company loses money at the hands of its leaders, not only are investors and board members affected but rank-and-file employees quickly lose faith in the company as well. The effect can be much more traumatizing at a small company. That’s why a recent study was so shocking: It found that more than 80 percent of embezzlement thefts occurred at companies with fewer than 150 employees, and nearly 50 percent occurred at companies with fewer...

12 February

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Drug trafficking convictions come with hefty sentences

Posted by Chris Proffitt

in drug trafficking

The effect of a drug trafficking conviction can be particularly significant for people in North Carolina. It may not be immediately clear where the line is drawn between possession, distribution and trafficking charges. While some may think that people need to be involved in moving massive quantities of drugs or cross-border smuggling to face trafficking charges, this is not necessarily the case. Trafficking charges can relate to all types of controlled substances, from marijuana to synthetic cannabinoid products to MDMA, methamphetamine or cocaine. People convicted of drug trafficking are not sentenced using North Carolina’s regular grid. Instead, they face higher, expanded...

Author: Chris Proffitt